Finding Your Way
by kbecks41319
Summary: Addison leaves New York when she catches Mark cheating on her. AU, obviously.


**A/N:** This is for McWife :) Her mommy is in the hospital and I decided she could use some cheer. I've never, ever wrote Maddison before so.. here is my try. I don't own anything!

* * *

><p>When she caught him cheating, she up and left without any warning; just packed as many bags that would fit in her car and left. Richard had been bothering her for a while to come out and look at the job but she didn't want to be around her husband, didn't want to deal with the separation that they were going through. Instead she headed south, deciding to try the Carolina life.<p>

And it worked. For almost six months she worked at Duke's Children Hospital until they finally made her go on maternity leave. She had called him so many times over the last few months but every time he answered.. She just hung up. He'd already proven that he wasn't ready for this, wasn't ready to have a family and settle down. She'd accepted that finally, accepted that she'd be raising their daughter alone.

"You've got an accent."

Her eyes shot up, going wide as she took him in and how.. older he looked. She swallowed hard, rubbing her stomach as she tried to ignore the small contraction.

"That happens when you stay somewhere for so long," she muttered as she pushed her hair out of her face before her lips thinned out. "What are you doing here?"

"Savvy squealed," he offered as he stepped inside the room, glancing around before sitting down in the chair beside her bed. "She's stuck in surgery."

"I know," she bit out. "Naomi's on her way and Archer said he'll stop by tomorrow to see Ella if I have her."

"Ella? It's a girl?" His eyes lit up with joy, his hands twitching towards her stomach but stopping at the last moment.

She nodded, swallowing hard as she glanced towards the door and out towards the hall of the hospital that had become a big part of her life. She wasn't sure why he was there, wasn't sure if she wanted to know. She was going to quite possibly murder her best friend.

"I thought you went back to Derek," he admitted quietly as he looked down to the floor. "I flew out to Seattle and the chief there, Richard, had me escorted out of the premises cause I got punched to the ground by your husband."

"Ex," she corrected him without a thought, her wide eyes snapping to him when she realized what she had just told him.

"It was finalized?"

"Four months ago." She nodded again, looking towards the machine that was printing out the reading from her fetal monitor.

"So he knows?" He was hunched over, his body angled towards her and his eyes pulled together in concentration as he processed the information she was giving him.

"No. That is one conversation I refuse to have by myself," she shook her head and turned back to him after she was sure the read outs were fine. "Our lawyers did most of the work."

"Oh," he nodded his head before opening his mouth and snapping it shut.

"Spit it out," she told him rather rudely, rolling her eyes. "We've never bit our tongues with each other, don't start now and make things awkward."

"I haven't slept with anyone since you left." He rubbed the side of his face, the prickles of his beard scratching the palms of his hands. "And I'm not going to make excuses for the nurse. It was stupid and I knew what was at stake. But, Addison, I swear. I'm not going to make the same mistake again, I'm not going to risk losing you or our daughter. I love you and her."

The redhead shook her head, the traitorous tears falling down her cheeks as she looked away from him to regain her composure. Sometimes she really disliked the pregnancy hormones that threw her all of kilter. Sucking in a deep breath, she held it for a moment before blowing it out slowly and looking at him. "I won't have you coming in and out of her life like you please, you won't hurt her. You're not going to be the dad that adds money to a savings account because his daughter caught him cheating. I won't let you do that, Mark."

"Addie, I wouldn't do that. I wouldn't do that to her, or you." His own eyes were glistening and she wanted nothing more to believe him, to let him back in.

"I swear, Mark, first time you so much as look-" She grit her teeth, partly because of the anger coursing through her at the thought of him hurting there daughter and also because of the contraction that was wreaking havoc on her body.

"Are you okay? Is the baby okay?" He stood up, hovering over her. "Do I need to get someone?"

She wasn't deliberately ignoring him but it was easier that way as she took deep breaths in and out, her hand gripping the railing tight as another contraction hit. When it had passed, she offered him a small smile as she let go of the railing. "I'm fine, they're not close enough for them to do anything."

His body relaxed slightly and he allowed himself to sit back down slowly, his eyes staying on her as he ran a hand through his hair. "Do you mind if I stay?"

"I'd like that," she smiled after a moment as she rested against the pillows. Maybe it would be nice to have him here, to have someone to be there, especially if she got to squeeze his hand and possibly break it later during labor.

**x0x**

"You're going to explain to my patients why I have to reschedule their surgeries," he informed her quite seriously as they stared down at their daughter. He had ended up on the bed, backed up against the pillows with her leaning against his chest in the 'v' of his legs.

"Such a girl," she murmured as she stroked the little girl's head, a smile on her lips as she sighed contently. "Daddy's such a girl, Ella."

"Aren't people in your profession supposed to have a delicate touch?" He cocked his eyebrow at her, smirking as he rested his chin on her shoulder.

"I'll give you a delicate touch." She shook her head at him, running her finger against the newborn's cheek. She was so relieved that the little girl was there and healthy. It was quiet for a few moments before she let out the breath she had been holding. "There were problems during the second trimester, we weren't sure if she was going to make it."

There was a sharp intake of breath before his arms tightened just slightly around her, nuzzling his face against her neck. "You could have called."

"I did," she admitted with a sad smile. "So many times but every time you answered I would hang up. I didn't know what to tell you, didn't know if you had changed. For all I knew you were sleeping with every woman that batted an eyelash your way."

"I was a wreck once I realized that you left," he sighed and scratched behind his ear. "Sav and Weiss wouldn't tell me where you were and no one else knew. After going to Seattle and not finding you there, I started calling around.. But I never thought you'd come down south. I'm pretty sure Savvy only told me because she couldn't make it herself."

"I'm still debating on murdering her," Addison admitted.

"You wouldn't do well in prison."

"I could deliver babies in the courtyard." She smirked, rubbing her finger up and down Ella's arm as she let her body relax even more into him. "Thank you for being here."

"I honestly wouldn't be anywhere else," he murmured into her ear as he gazed down at the little bundle in her arms.

They grew quiet, just staring at Ella and letting everything sink in. It would be a long time before she trusted him again but she could hear the sincerity in his voice when he promised not to hurt their daughter. Addison could handle it again; the cheating and the hurt, but she wouldn't subject Ella to that. She would never subject her to that.

"Are you sure about her middle name? You should get to choose that, at least." Her nose crinkled up as she glanced over her shoulder at him.

"Ella Adrienne is perfect," he assured her. "She's a little mini you. Red hair, blue eyes. I bet she'll have the sass too."

"I wouldn't mind changing it."

"Addison," he sighed and shook his head. "It's perfect."

She bit her lip but turned her attention back to the bundle in her arms, nodding only slightly as she gave in to the fact that he wouldn't be changing it. Which she was grateful for; She'd had Ella's name picked out since before she found out it was a girl, she didn't like the idea of changing it now.

"I'm going to sell the practice," he announced after they had been quiet for a while again. "Sublet my apartment. You're happy here. I could be happy here."

Her head snapped to the side, wide eyes cutting into him with surprise. "That's crazy. The practice is doing great and besides, you wouldn't like it here."

"I could learn to like it," he offered with a shrug. "And I could start a new practice."

"All of your friends are in New York, Mark."

"We'll visit. I can make new ones."

"I couldn't ask you to do that," she shook her head and refocused her gaze on Ella. "I _wouldn't_ ask you to do that."

"You're not asking, I'm offering." He gave her a soft squeeze, smiling slightly. "It can be a fresh start for us."

"Don't do anything right away," she said after a drawn out pause. "Stay here for a week or so and try it out. That way, if it doesn't work, you'll have something to go back to."

"I don't want to go back without you, Addison," he admitted quietly. "I know what it's like to live without you and it's not something I want to go back to. If you're happy here then I'll be happy here, because you're here and happy."

"I'm not saying you can't stay. I'm just saying, think it out. Make sure this is what you want." She brushed her hair out of her face, eyes closing from exhaustion as she pulled the covers higher up over her. "Don't stay out of some crazy obligation that you think you have."

"Red, you're talking silly now." He kissed her shoulder and leaned back against the bed. "You just get some rest and we will talk about it all later."

"Don't call me that," she whined, sleep quickly pulling her under as she tucked Ella close to her chest.

"Sleep, Addie."

"Mmm, missed you." Her breathing evened out as her head lolled to the side, a small smile on her pale pink lips.

"Missed you too," he whispered into her hair as he closed his eyes and rested his forehead against the back of her head. "I'm not losing you two again."


End file.
